


Space Wizards and Laser Swords

by orphan_account



Category: Law & Order: SVU
Genre: Christmas Fluff, Christmas Movie Debate, Doesn't feature though, F/M, Family Feels, Fluff, Movie Night, Star Wars - Freeform, brief mentions of abusive parent
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-23
Updated: 2020-12-23
Packaged: 2021-03-10 23:14:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,182
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28265226
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: “You know - Die Hard or Home Alone I could understand. There’s an argument to be made there. But under no circumstances does Star Wars count as a Christmas film, Rafa.”Nonsense,” Rafael replied, painstakingly dividing the popcorn between three bowls while Noah very carefully trafficked a tray of drinks through to the living room. “What could be more Christmas-y than a story of good will and deeds triumphing over evil. And there’s magic too. Elves as well, if you want to very seriously misrepresent Yoda.”--Rafael shares a Christmas Tradition with Liv and Noah
Relationships: Rafael Barba/Olivia Benson
Comments: 1
Kudos: 17
Collections: Barson Secret Santa 2020





	Space Wizards and Laser Swords

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Millie_Morris](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Millie_Morris/gifts).



> My gift to @Millie_Morris who requested 'Christmas Family Fluff'. Really hope you like this one!

“You know - Die Hard or Home Alone I could understand. There’s an argument to be made there. But under no circumstances does Star Wars count as a Christmas film, Rafa.”

Nonsense,” Rafael replied, painstakingly dividing the popcorn between three bowls while Noah very carefully trafficked a tray of drinks through to the living room. “What could be more Christmas-y than a story of good will and deeds triumphing over evil. And there’s magic too. Elves as well, if you want to very seriously misrepresent Yoda.”

Liv rolled her eyes as she leaned back against the counter.

“Ah yes, good triumphing over evil. That’s why we’re watching Empire-”

“Ah ah,” Rafael said quickly, cutting her off. “Careful of the spoilers,  _ mi amor _ . Young ears.”

Liv rolled her eyes once more, but grabbed one of the bowls of popcorn and the tub of ice cream and made her way through to the living room regardless. 

“This is just a continuation of your campaign to turn my son into a nerd.”

Rafael scoffed. 

“Please, your son is already a nerd with very refined tastes,” he drawled, grinning wider when Noah nodded empathetically at that. 

“And I love you for it,  _ mijo, _ ” he laughed before turning back to her. “There’s no campaign, I’m just providing bricks in the wall of his education.”

“In the form of space wizards with Laser Swords.”

“Lightsabers, Mama,” Noah scoffed as they all settled on the sofa, shooting Rafael a despairing look. “ _ Honestly _ .”

“Be patient with her, Kiddo.”

Liv arched a brow and shot a chuckling Rafael a  _ look _ .

“He’s spending far too much time with you,” she drawled, before popping the lid of her ice-cream and nodding to the tv. “Go on, get on with your ridiculous movie.”

“Grinch,” Rafa scoffed, pressing play regardless.

“Objection. Not a Christmas movie - so not a grinch,” Liv retorted.

“Now who’s starting to sound like me?”

“Guys! Focus. The story’s coming up.”

“Sorry, sorry,” Rafa chuckled, before narrating the opening crawl for them all. 

Liv settled back against the sofa and made herself comfortable. She had no interest whatsoever in Star Wars, or sci fi in general, but it had been an unexpected delight to discover that Rafael did. Watching him come alive as he introduced it all to a very enthusiastic Noah had likewise turned out to be more surprisingly endearing than she had ever expected it would be. 

Besides, the movie itself wasn’t too bad. It wasn’t her thing but she enjoyed it well enough (though perhaps not quite to the level of Rafael, and certainly that of Noah, who had to be reminded of the neighbours 4 times throughout).

Noah managed to hold out right to the end of the movie - but after a 10 minute back and forth rant over the ending with Rafa and demands to know what happens next, he managed to huff and puff himself out of steam and was fast asleep before the dishwasher was fully stacked. 

“You’re going to throw your back out doing that one of these days,” she drawled as Rafael joined her back in the living room after carrying her son into his own.

He grinned and flopped down beside her, twisting so he was facing her properly and propping his head up on his knuckles. 

“Would you nurse me back to health?” he asked cheekily.

“Nope. You'd have done it to yourself,” she replied, a teasing grin of her own tugging at her lips. “I’d have no sympathy”

Rafael arched his brow, gauging her for a brief moment before smirking and shaking his head. 

“I call bull. You’d nurse me back to health,” he said, before flopping back against the sofa once more. “That was a good wrap up for the day I think.”

“Ah yes, with your super Christmas-y movie choice,” she teased. 

Rafael chuckled and threw up his hands in defeat. 

“Alright alright, so maybe it wasn’t entirely Christmasy,” he said. “Though I would say an argument could be made for the colour scheme. Red and green light-sabres scream holiday spirit to me.”

“Wouldn’t hold up in court.”

He laughed.

“Perhaps you  _ have _ been spending too much time around me,” he said, before pressing on. “Regardless, perhaps the movie itself isn’t Christmasy - but it is a bit of a Christmas tradition of mine.”

Liv arched a brow at that.

“Oh?”

Rafael smiled fondly and tipped his head back against the sofa cushions.

“ _ Mi Abuelita y Abuelito _ ,” he said. “I’d spend christmas night with them every year when I was a kid.”

He shrugged. 

“My old man had usually drunken himself into a bit of a state by that point, so it just became a bit of a thing.”

Liv sighed softly and took his hand, giving it a gentle squeeze and getting one in return, and a small, reassuring smile soon after. 

“I think it must have started because in the beginning I’d get so upset about it all. I’d convince myself, it’s Christmas and Papi would have to be nice just one day, right? And that day would  _ have _ to be christmas because everyone was supposed to be happy and nice on Christmas.”

He shrugged again, the smile on his lips turning a touch self-deprecating.

“Wasn’t the case, of course, but the disappointment was still there. So, I guess in an effort to cheer me up and not rub it in further that it was Christmas and he still couldn’t get his act together,  _ mi abuelito _ put on some crappy sci-fi movie he’d recorded a few weeks back.”

He chuckled, rolling his head to the side to look at her properly. 

“He was a bit of a nerd too,” he drawled. 

Liv laughed fondly at that.

“Anyway - it worked a treat. Took my mind off everything and refocused it on this whole new world where everything was weird and possible. I wasn’t exactly the most fanciful child, even then it was very clear that school was important if I ever wanted to get anywhere. But with this sort of stuff, I could just enjoy it. Eventually it just became a thing. I’d come over Christmas night - we’d watch whatever sci-fi thing abuelito had come up with. Then when he passed away, Abuelita and I kept it going, because it was a nice way to remember him. And now they’ve both moved on, it’s just me.”

He rubbed the back of his neck and smiled at her. 

“I know it seems silly, and thanks for being a good sport about it, but it meant a lot to me - getting to share this tradition of mine with you guys.” 

Liv smiled warmly and leaned over, pressing a kiss to his cheek before settling so she was leaning against his side instead of the arm of the sofa. 

“I don’t think it’s silly,” she said. “And thank  _ you _ for sharing this with us.”

Barba smiled warmly down at her, pressing his lips to her temple for a long moment, before pulling away and resting his forehead against hers. 

“...So you conceded Star Wars  _ is _ a Christmas movie.”

“Absolutely not.”

“So mean!”


End file.
